After an article published by The New York Times, the theory of a coup plot against Maduro which, according to the president, is headed by the United States, has gained strength

In an article published last Saturday, September 8 by The New York Times, it is stated that the Donald Trump's government would have agreed to meet and listen to high-level Venezuelan militaries, who sought support to perpetrate a possible coup against Nicolás Maduro. According to the article, the three meetings were held in Europe at the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018.

Leer en español: ¿Conspiración? EE.UU. se reunió en secreto con militares venezolanos golpistas

With these, advice and logistical support, such as "encrypted radios", were sought for communications that would facilitate the coup d'etat. However, apparently the initiative would not have obtained support from the White House.

In recent months, the Administration of Donald Trump has imposed several blockades, monetary sanctions against high-level government officials and prohibitions on US companies and citizens from carrying out any type of financial transaction with Venezuelan state assets. This as a way to intensify the economic pressure to Nicolás Maduro's government.

The article highlights that a military commander, source of The New York Times, said that the plans did not contemplate a military intervention of the United States in Venezuelan territory. It also questioned that the Bolivarian soldier was a faithful "emissary of democracy", since he is on the list of officials of the Venezuelan headquarters sanctioned by the government of the United States.

Reactions to the controversial article

In response to The New York Times, the White House issued a statement in which it did not contradict the information published by the newspaper and rather expresses the need for the rapprochement with the Venezuelan population, in search of strategies to " bring positive change to a country that has suffered a lot under the Maduro government."

The Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, also reacted to the article: "We denounce to the world the plans of intervention and support to military conspiracies of the government of the United States against Venezuela," he posted on his Twitter account.

We denounce to the world the plans of intervention and support to military conspiracies of the government of the United States against Venezuela. In the American media themselves, new and gross evidences come to light: https://t.co/1vvuusfgrb

– Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) September 8, 2018

You can also read: Why did Peru and Colombia agree to create a database of Venezuelan migrants?

To this voice was added that of the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, who also expressed through his Twitter account: "We condemn Trump's coup plot that secretly plans with Venezuelan traitors to overthrow Nicolás Maduro".

We condemn Trump's coup plot that secretly plans with Venezuelan military traitors how to overthrow Br. @NicolasMaduro . Free peoples of Latin America will resist and defeat any new attack of the empire against the peace and democracy of the Great Homeland

– Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) September 8, 2018

An international coup plot?

It is important to note that Maduro won the elections held last May, a vote that was cataloged by the international community as an illegitimate triumph. However, a fact that supports the coup plot was that occurred on August 4 during a military parade.

According to the Venezuelan government, that day saw the explosion of three drones that were directed against Maduro and that is part of an international plot led by the United States, the government of former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the opposition.

Added to this are the actions directed by police and pilot Óscar Pérez, who on June 27, 2017 overflew the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior in a helicopter and fired 15 shots, expressing his rebelliousness against Maduro's government. Pérez was killed in January 2018 by Bolivarian police groups.

For now, there remains the concern of what other issues and details were discussed in the meetings that are discussed in the New York Times article or why a part of the Venezuelan military wants to overthrow Nicolás Maduro.

LatinAmerican Post | Walter Reina Parra

Translated from "¿Teorías de conspiración? El gobierno de Trump se reunió en secreto con militares venezolanos"